BACKGROUND Keratinocyte growth factor receptor (KGFR) is a splice variant of the FGFR2 gene expressed in epithelial cells. Activation of KGFR is a key factor in the regulation of physiological processes in epithelial cells such as proliferation, differentiation and wound healing. Alterations of KGFR signaling have been linked to the pathogenesis of different epithelial tumors. It has been also ...

The Daudi line of human lymphoblastoid cells requires insulin and transferrin for growth in serumfree medium and is highly sensitive to the inhibitory effect of human leukocyte interferon (IFN-a) on cell proliferation. A variant subline of Daudi cells, which is resistant to the antiproliferative action of IFN-a, also has been grown in serum-free medium containing insulin and transferrin. The pr...

Cholestasis is associated with systemic accumulation of bile salts and with deficiency of bile in the intestinal lumen. During the past years bile salts have been identified as signaling molecules that regulate lipid, glucose, and energy metabolism. Bile salts have also been shown to activate signaling routes leading to proliferation, apoptosis, or differentiation. It is unclear, however, wheth...

Poke weed mitogen (PWM), a lectin purified from Phytolacca americana is frequently used as a B cell-specific stimulus to trigger proliferation and immunoglobulin secretion. In the present study we investigated the mechanisms underlying the B cell stimulatory capacity of PWM. Strikingly, we observed that highly purified PWM preparations failed to induce B cell proliferation. By contrast, commerc...

Humans have a limited capacity for tissue regeneration. While we are able to regenerate portions of the kidney, liver, blood, hair and skin cells, we lack the ability to regenerate limbs or larger, more complex organs. Other organisms however, such as zebrafish, are endowed with the capacity to regenerate nearly all complex tissues, including appendages. Using the adult zebrafish (Danio rerio) ...

Objective(s) Some investigation has indicated that adipose-derived stem cells possess different surface epitopes and differentiation potential according to the localization of fat pad from which the cells were derived. In the present study proliferation capacity and aging of such cells were explored. Materials and Methods Adherent cells were isolated from the collagenase digests of adipose tiss...

The identification of molecules that regulate human hematopoietic stem cells has focused mainly on cytokines, of which very few are known to act directly on stem cells. Recent studies in lower organisms and the mouse have suggested that bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) may play a critical role in the specification of hematopoietic tissue from the mesodermal germ layer. Here we report that BMP...

BACKGROUND Mycophenolic acid (MPA), a metabolite of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), is an immunosuppressive agent that inhibits inosine monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMPDH), a key enzyme in the ex novo synthesis of GTP. We measured IMPDH activity in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from MMF-treated patients to evaluate the efficacy of MMF in individual patients. METHODS IMPDH activity w...